Response Paper Essay

In Paths of Globalization from the Berbers to Bach, Yo-Yo Ma (2008) states that cultural conventions compose an important organization for personality, social steadiness and compassionate interactions in the globalized world. To support this statement, he came up with several ideas. Although globalization is always thought to make people obey to others’ rule and thus threaten their own identities, the interactions it brought don’t only damage culture, and can produce new culture and strengthen and propagate the old traditions. He also mentions that looking deeply inside the world’s conventions is a good method to discover the world. What’s more, he states that for traditions, a best method to survive is organic evolution, which need to use all available tools. The exhibition of a tradition to other countries can make practitioners in the home country more energetic. Finally, he talked about the four priorities of education that are significant but are uneasy to measure and could be ignored in this competitive hierarchical world driven by exams and measurable sequent, which are memorizing contents with communication, education driven by enthusiasm, the growth of a disciplined vision and sympathy. Among all the ideas, there are two ideas attract me. The first one is that globalization can create new culture, and the second one is that exhibiting a tradition in other country can energize the practitioners in the origin country. Both ideas are interesting to me and I would like to response to them. Response Yo-Yo Ma (2008) indicates that the reactions brought by globalization don’t always damage culture, they can also produce new culture and enhance and spread old traditions. I agree with this issue. A good example can be the American-Chinese food. With the globalization, the American fast food competitions with food in other culture and exposed some shortcomings like unhealthy. However, fast food developed and quickly absorbed the advantages of its opponents, for example, Chinese food, and developed a new type of food known as American-Chinese food. A great example can be the famous dish Beef w. Broccoli. This dish, is a typical American Chinese dish. It combines the convenience of fast food and the balance between vegetable and meat of Chinese food. This is a good example of new culture created by globalization, and no doubt that the fast food culture grown stronger in  this example. Yo-Yo Ma (2008) also mentioned that the presentation of tradition in foreign country can enhance the practitioners in its homeland. I also agree with this idea, since I myself can relate to it. Confucius is an educator in ancient Chin, and his theories is one of the most famous Chinese traditions. However, as time passed many people seem not to care Confucius’ theory. However, when the news shows that the Confucius Institution made huge success in America, the people in China gained passion on Confucius. This shows how the present of tradition could abroad could enhance the development of it in the origin country. Conclusion As a conclusion, in these situations, the globalization have effects such as create new culture and help traditions develop. I highly agree with Yo-Yo Ma’s thesis that globalization have a positive effect on traditions.